Packaged door assembly and method for prefabricating and installing the same



Oct. 30, 1962 PARKER 3 060,522

J H. PACKAGED DOOR ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR PREFABRICATING AND INSTALLINGTHE SAME Filed Nov. 5, 1958 FIG. 1.

FIG. 3.

INVENTOR. John H. Parker ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,060,522PACKAGED DOOR ASSEMBLY AND METHOD 50R PREFABRICATING AND INSTALLING THEJohn H. Parker, 743 E. Hayward Ave., Phoenix, Ariz. Filed Nov. 3, 1958,Ser. No. 771,658 6 Claims. (Cl. 2011) This invention relates to apackaged door assesmbly and method for prefabricating and installing thesame.

Doors have, in the past, been hung by shimming the door frame around therough openings with wooden shims so that it is plumb and square and heldtightly in place, after which the door is cut to the plumbed door frame.Various attempts have been made to simplify this timeconsuming shimmingoperation, illustrative of which is the method disclosed in US. PatentNo. 2,730,773 to G. I. Logue, January 17, 1956 wherein shiming isaccomplished by means of pressure screws.

It is an object of this invention to provide a packaged assembly forinstalling a complete shop-hung door which requires no shimming andconsequently can be installed in a minimum of time and with a minimum ofeffort.

Further objects are to provide a method for installing a packaged doorassembly in a few simple steps by a person unskilled in the art ofhanging doors, the operation requiring no special tools; to provide amethod for prefabricating a packaged door assembly in which the variouspieces of wood making up the component parts are first assembled inrough lengths and then machine cut and mitered together to insure aperfect fit when installing the door; to provide a packaged doorassembly comprising a hinge jamb, strike jamb, header and door, allprefabricated and precut as one-piece units, which are readily assembledon the job into a door frame of superior strength; to provide a packageddoor assembly of the character described, in which the casing ispermanently secured to the frame; and to provide a packaged doorassembly including pressure screws for positively positioning the hingejamb, strike jamb and header.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the followingdescription of the present preferred formof the invention, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the component parts of the packaged doorassembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of a door frame illustratingthe application of the present invention, portions thereof being brokenaway to disclose details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through one of the jambs andillustrating to advantage the manner of installing the same; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the header forming a part of the presentinvention.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing, there is shown in FIG.1, a prefabricated packaged door assembly which includes a hinge jamb 5,a strike jamb 6, a header 7, a door 8 and pressure screws 9.

Hinge jamb includes a frame member 11 the upper terminal of which ismitered at 11. A door stop 12, the upper edge of which is mitered at 13,is affixed to one face of frame member and extends longitudinallythereof. A pair of opposed casing members 14 having their upper marginsmitered at 15 are permanently glued and stapled to the lateral marginsof frame member 10 to provide a jamb of unitary construction. Themitered upper edges of frame member 10, door stop 12 and casing member14 lie in the same plane. Conventional butt hinges are indicated at 16.

Adjacent the upper terminal of frame member 10 are a pair of spacedopenings 17 preferably located one on each 3,959,522 Patented Oct. 30,1962 "ice side of door stop 12, which are adapted for the reception ofpressure screws 9 which will be hereinafter more fully described.

Strike jamb 6 comprises frame members and casing members which are ofthe same construction as hinge jamb 5 and consequently the parts thereofare identified by like primed numbers. One face of frame 10' may besuitably machined to provide a recess for the reception of a lock unitadapted to cooperate with hardware connected to door 8.

Header 7 includes a frame member 18, the lateral edges of which aremitered at 19. A door stop 20 having mitered terminals 21 is affixedlongitudinally of frame 18. A pair of casing members 22 having miteredterminal portions 23 are nailed and stapled to the lateral margins offrame 18 in the manner of jambs 5 and 6. Pairs of openings 24 and 25,adapted for the reception of pressure screws 9, are provided in frame 18adjacent the terminals thereof and on opposed sides of door stop 20.

Door 8 may be of conventional construction, having along one lateraledge, spaced butt hinges 26 adapted to be engaged with butt hinges 16 ofdoor jamb 5 by means of pintles 27. Door 8 is further provided, alongthe edge thereof, remote from hinges 2.6, with openings 28 and 29adapted to receive a door knob and lock unit which may form a part ofthe present assembly. Pressure screws 9 are designed to position thejambs 5 and 6 and header 7 and to close and match the miter jointsbetween these parts. Each pressure screw 9 includes a T nut comprising asleeve 30 which is internally threaded'at 31, one terminal of the nutbeing provided with a flange 3'2 portions of which, adjacent the outerperiphery, are struck to provide barbs 33 adapted for engagement withthe wood adjacent the openings in which the pressure screws are placed.The T nut is adapted for threaded engagement with a machine screw havinga threaded shank 34, one terminal of which is enlarged to provide a flathead 35. The opposite end of threaded shank 34 is provided with a kerf36 for adjusting the position of the machine screw with respect to the Tnut. A plug for the pressure screw opening is indicated at 37.

In installing a packaged door assembly constructed in accordance withthe present invention, the hinge jamb 5 is first slipped into place inthe door opening so that casing members 14 are disposed on oppositesides of the vertical stud 38 which defines one side of door opening.Header 7 is next placed into position so that casing members 22 are onopposite sides of horizontal stud 3? forming the upper limit of the dooropening. Strike jamb 6 is next slipped into position in the same manneras hinge jamb 5. Pressure screws 9 carried by jambs 5 and 6 and header 7are then tightened sufficiently to hold the frame in place, making surethat the miters are matched exactly. Door 8 is next hung and the bottomof jambs 5 and 6 are manipulated until the frame fits the door. The doorframe is then secured in place by means of nails 40 which are driventhrough the casing members into the studs. The pressure screws aretightened securely after which plugs 37 are inserted in screw openings17, 17, 24 and 25.

In prefabricating the present packaged door assembly, the componentparts of the hinge jamb, strike jamb and header are not individuallyhandled and cut, but are assembled first in rough lengths and thenmachine cut at one time. The cutting of the assembled units results in afully mitered door installation, which improves the appearance of thedoor assembly, lends to the ease of erection and is substantially lessexpensive to manufacture. Door assemblies constructed in accordance withthis invention have been found to be of superior strength and meet therequirements of local and federal government inspectors. Prefabricationin the present manner additionally enables the component parts of thedoor frame to be packaged back to back for compact shipping, therebyetfecting a saving of space and considerably reducing any likelihood ofdamage.

It has also been found that with the device and method of the presentinvention, the door assembly may be hung by one possessing no specialskill in the art of hanging doors, in approximately fifteen minutes andwithout special tools. The use of wooden shims is eliminated by theexpediency of permanently affixing the casings to the frames to form anintegral unit. To further reduce the cost of this assembly, stock T nutsand machine screws comprise the pressure screws forming a part of thepresent invention, thereby eliminating the high cost of speciallydesigned pressure screws.

It is of course to be understood that the method and apparatus of thepresent invention may be employed in installing various types of doorssuch as sliding doors, swinging doors, etc. Various other changes may bemade therein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimshereto appended.

What -I claim is:

1. A packaged door assembly for installation in a rough door openingcomprising a pair of jambs and a header including a frame member andeasing members preassembled and cut to the desired lengths, said jambsand header being complementally mitered at adjacent edges when inerected position, and adjustable positioning members mounted in saidjambs and header and adapted for engagement with the rough door opening,to position the jambs and header and match the mitered edges thereof,said adjustable positioning members being located in each of said jambsand header in spaced pairs on each side of the mitered joints proximatethe mitered edges thereof.

2. A packaged door assembly, as set out in claim 1, wherein said memberscomprise a plurality of T-nuts, each of which includes an internallythreaded sleeve, one terminal of the sleeve being provided with aflange, portions of said flange being struck to provide barbs adaptedfor engagement with the jambs or header at the locus of openings thereinin which the T-nut is received, and a screw threadedly engaged with saidsleeve, the inner end of said screw being adapted to engage the roughdoor opening.

3. A packaged door assembly, as set out in claim 2, wherein the innerterminal of said screw is enlarged to provide a flat head and theopposite end thereof is provided with a kerf to permit adjustment ofsaid screw.

4. A packaged door assembly for installation in a rough door openingcomprising a pair of jambs and a header of wooden construction, each ofwhich includes a frame member and casing members pre-assembled and cutto the desired lengths, adjacent terminals of said jambs and headerbeing complementally and uniformly mitered throughout their widths, andadjustable positioning members mounted in said jambs and header andadapted for engagement with the rough door opening, to position thejambs and header and match the mitered edges thereof said adjustablepositioning members being located in each of said jambs and headerproximate the mitered edges thereof.

5. A packaged door assembly, as set out in claim 4, wherein each of saidadjustable positioning members comprises a threaded sleeve, anchoringmeans on said sleeve for holding the latter in fixed position, and apositioning screw threadedly engaged with said threaded sleeve, oneterminal of said screw being adapted to engage the rough door opening.

6. A packaged door assembly as set out in claim 5, wherein the innerterminal of said positioning screw is enlarged to provide a fiat headand the opposite end thereof is provided with a kerf to permitadjustment of said screw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,169,985 Hiza Aug. 15, 1939 2,706,837 Jackson Apr. 26, 1955 2,730,773Logue Ian. 17, 1956 2,835,933 Evans May 27, 1958 2,859,491 Morris Nov.11, 1958 2,874,420 Henderson Feb. 24, 1959 2,914,817 Jackson Dec. 1,1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 478,022 Canada Oct. 23, 1951

